Renewing a Flower
by Spyff921
Summary: Deep in the slums a wilting flower is going to be renewed. Relena, a fallen student, has resorted to other sources of income, falling in with a group with distressed students like herself. One day she is offered a job that she finds herself agreeing to
1. renaflow1

Chapter 1  
  
Jessie was nervous. She was more than nervous; she was paralyzed with the trauma of where she stood. She had never been on this side of the town before. It was a rough looking place, with old burnt out apartment buildings, but she knew what lurked behind those shut windows. What lurked there was a terrible life that she would never like to see. She sneered at the girl that stood in skimpy attire as she continued down the street. She had to find one. One that would do well for the job that she had in mind for her boyfriend. Her cold and unfeeling boyfriend. Heero Yuy was his name and he was colder than stone on a winter day. She shivered at the thought of those cold calculating looks that he always gave her. She never knew why she stayed with him. Maybe because of the great nights that they had in bed, but all she knew is that even all the best times in bed with him couldn't make her stay now. She couldn't stand the quiet mornings where it felt like the silence was going to smother her. She couldn't take it anymore. He never showed much affection towards her and rarely spoke to her just to make conversation. Now that she thought about it, she had never heard him talk to just make conversation. Yet another reason for her to find another way out. Heero did mention that he wasn't particularly ready to let her go yet. Well, she would take care of that quickly. Finally, she passed a promising looking building. It was in better shape then the others. Slowly, she approached the stoop and saw that a young woman stood there in a tight looking outfit and leather all over. A small leather collar was around her neck and everything that spoke of her said whore. The young woman smiled a little at her.   
  
"Can I help you?" she asked a little aloofly. Jessie eyed her up and down as if she were a snake that was about to bite her. She approached cautiously.   
  
"I'm not sure. I was wondering if I could pay you to do a job for me." The look turned to one of understanding.   
  
"Listen girl, I ain't here for that kind of entertainment. That kind of stuff is another block down from here," said the woman. Jessie nearly felt her stomach doing somersaults. She felt as if she had come here in vein. The girl had to look somewhat innocent but looked good enough to seduce a man right out of his head. It looked as if there was nothing here that could do the job.   
  
"No, you don't understand," she hissed indignantly. "I'm here for a business proposition outside of this district." The knowing look turned to one of annoyance and she jabbed a finger behind her further down the street.   
  
"Those kinds of transactions are taken care of at headquarters. That way." She made it clear that Jessie was blocking the doorway as well as possible business. Cringing away from the place she had stood too long, Jessie moved further down the street, not knowing exactly where to go, so she proceeded in doing what she had done before. She scanned the doorways and noticed another one. Moving closer she noticed a girl leaning against the doorjamb. She narrowed her eyes.   
  
"You want a job? I'll pay you," stated Jessie with a snobbish voice. The girl eyed her up and down.   
  
"Depends on what you want doin'." The girl wore a silky outfit that was hot red and nearly see through. Her legs were completely bare and she wore red high heels. Her makeup was tastefully applied though and she looked like normal young woman, except that her eyes and whole disposition spoke of a great night if you were a man. She was blond and had clear blue eyes. Her smile was almost perfect and Jessie felt a little envious of this young woman.   
  
"I want to get rid of a boy friend." The girl immediately began to back up. "Not murder, just get rid of!" snapped Jessie. The girl relaxed and listened more carefully.   
  
"Yeah, what's that got to do with me?"   
  
"I need an excuse." The girl's eyes lit up in recognition of the plan and smiled coyly.   
  
"Really? I'm guessing that you want me to sleep with him and let you 'find out' and then you break up with him. Am I correct?" Jessie nodded. Okay, maybe this young woman wasn't a complete bimbo, in fact, she was fair near intelligent. Jessie could tell by the look in the young woman's eyes. This might work out after all. "Depending on how much you pay, that I just might do it." Jessie smiled.   
  
"I'm paying you 100,000 yen for every time you sleep with him until I find out." The girl's eyes widened.   
  
"What is this?" cried the woman. "That is cheap! I'm not sleeping with some idiot who doesn't know how to keep his own girl more than once!"   
  
"First of all, I would like to name the terms. Can I ask you your name?" The girl smiled a little.   
  
"Which one?"   
  
"You're real name." The girl rolled her eyes.   
  
"Relena. Relena Darlian." Jessie nodded and took note of the name.   
  
"Well, I want you to act civil for a week or two and act as my cousin. A far away cousin from the states. You're visiting and…"   
  
"At some point I'm supposed to sleep with your guy and you supposedly find out and then you go into a fit and break up with him and I go with a couple hundred thousand yen in my pocket." Jessie smiled.   
  
"I'm glad we agree then."   
  
"I didn't say I agreed, I just said what was the obvious." Jessie narrowed her eyes.   
  
"Listen, I can pick up any cheap floozy off this side of town and get her to do the same job for cheaper so if you're going to complain…"   
  
"Sorry, girly, but any 'cheap floozy' on this side of town won't do it for you after this."   
  
"Why's that?"   
  
"Because I'm the big girl around here and no one gets these kinds of big jobs unless I okay it. You can be walking for the next week before you find someone and that girl will be out of my turf. I only carry the best in my turf and you won't find any better." Jessie saw this was going to be harder than she thought.   
  
"Fine, do you have any terms I might want to know of?" Relena raised an elegant eyebrow.   
  
"Of course, who wouldn't?" Jessie rolled her eyes. "First of all, I want three hundred every time I sleep with him. If he's good in bed, then I might lower the price a little, but my lowest is 250,000 and even that is on rare occasions. I want all expenses paid for when I get there and don't worry about my clothing, I've got some… decent clothing of my own." Jessie's surprised look only amused Relena even more. "Hey, I used to be a proper lady at some point too you know. After the job, I want a final payment of 400,000 yen, no agreement, no job. If I have to sleep with your guy, I want to be right next to his room so that I have free access. When I start my work, you stay out of it. I do nothing more than sleep with him. No going to the fair on a Ferris wheel or any of that crap. I'm only sleeping with him. If I see any signs of you giving out on the deal, I hightail it out with full payment. Those are my terms. Do we shake?" Jessie swallowed. She would have to make sure that Relena only slept with Heero once, twice at most, but no more. She didn't have that kind of money! Finally, after taking a huge breath, Jessie nodded. Relena's eyes were twinkling.   
  
"It's a deal then." Relena spat in her hand and stuck it out just to rile Jessie up. Jessie saw the challenge and narrowed her eyes. Slowly and hesitantly, she lifted her hand and spat in it and then shook Relena's hand. They were off. 


	2. renaflow2

Chapter 2  
  
Relena wasn't very awed by the new residence that she was to stay in for a few weeks. She smiled as she walked around the car to get her bags out. She had packed all her decent clothing and a few of the stuff she used for her 'job.' She had told her friends about her job and they envied her. Unlike what she made Jessie believe, it wasn't just her who ran that whole end of the city, it was also some of her friends too. They all seemed to share a place there. Each good at one thing or another.   
  
Various people. For instance, Cathy was there for being a night of loving. Hilde was there for a hard and wild night. Noin was there for commanding. Amazingly, some men liked to be ordered about. They thought it must have been utterly kinky. Relena always wondered about that. Dorothy was there always when a man wanted to wrestle out some of his aggravation. Relena always wondered if Dorothy would die one day. She had seen the bruises and Dorothy had only laughed it off, saying she didn't mind them at all. All of them encouraged Dorothy to watch out when she came back sometimes badly bruised and sore. Relena ordered the others to look out for her friend while she was away. Natria, well, she did the wonders of everything. Men were always surprised at the stamina she had and if they wanted to go at it for a long time, well, they went to Natria. It was incredible, but Relena could handle any and all guys. What would be so difficult about this one?   
  
Slowly, she walked up the stairs to the small house and saw that it was rented to the 'happy' couple. Relena smirked as she reached up to ring the doorbell. She wore a nice pair of kaki tan pants and a rosy red sweater. She wore penny loafers as well and a gold chain with a heart locket on it. She looked like a whole new person. The door opened and Jessie stood before her.   
  
"May I help you?" she asked nicely with a stale smile. Relena didn't like her. Not one bit. Any woman that would do this to her guy just to break up is a coward and Relena couldn't stand liars, but a yen was a yen. Instead of glaring at her, Relena smiled and put up her act she wouldn't take down for another week.   
  
"Hi, I can't believe you didn't recognize me, but then again, it's been so long! It's me! Relena! You're cousin from the states!" Jessie's eyes widened in shock and her eyes swept over Relena once, twice, and yet again.   
  
"Oh my god," she whispered. Then giving herself a mental shake, she smiled weakly and welcomed Relena into the house. As she shut the door, she called into one of the rooms, which Relena presumed was the family room, to her boyfriend.   
  
"Heero, my cousin is here!" she yelled. Relena winced at the high pitch voice. She heard a mumbled reply and she felt a shiver run down her spine. It was a cold and hard voice. One that was not meant to be toyed with.   
  
"Heero! Get in here this instant! I want you to meet my cousin. It's been ages since I saw her last!" Relena new it was only less than two days ago and smiled ironically. Finally, Heero had the courtesy to finally show up in the doorway. What Relena found took her breath away. He was gorgeous. How could Jessie ever want to get rid of such a wonderful looking man? Then Relena saw why. He was cold and withdrawn and didn't even show the slightest bit of interest in anything, until he stepped closer into the light of the hall. He nodded coldly as Relena raised her eyebrows to mock him. She could already tell that she was not going to like the stay there at all. Gritting her teeth against a sigh of frustration, Relena picked up her suitcases and asked Jessie with a false smile which way to her room. Jessie kindly showed her with even more false sense of courtesy. Relena followed, leaving Heero down below to stare after them as they went up the stairs. Jessie turned a corner and showed her their room and her own next door. Jessie stood inside the room as Relena began to unpack. She crossed here arms in an impatient gesture.   
  
"All right, I'm going to supposedly leave Wednesday for a meeting in downtown Tokyo. I won't be back until Saturday. I'm expecting that by the time I get back, you'll be through with the job and I'll come home around five in the evening. When I get home, you be in that bed with him. Do you understand?" she said icily. Relena smirked and shrugged as she continued to put away the clothes.   
  
"When do I get paid?" she asked cockily.   
  
"After you successfully finish your job." Relena glared.   
  
"Hey, I want some payment in advance. A girl's gotta have something to rely on you know." Jessie rolled her eyes and threw 100,000 yen at her from her pocket. Relena smiled.   
  
"Glad you saw it my way." Relena picked up the crumpled money and stuffed it into her drawer. The room was plain and boring. She looked around bleakly. That was when she noticed that Jessie was still standing there.   
  
"Do you mind?" she growled. The look did all she wanted. Jessie left quickly. Relena was beginning to resent this job and the woman who had asked her to do it. Jessie reminded herself never to stand idly while Relena was around. Slowly, she made her way down the stairs, where Heero had returned to the living room. He sat on the couch working on some figures for his job, but he refused to look up as Jessie sat down to pick up a newspaper.   
  
"I want her out of here by Tuesday." Jessie nearly dropped the paper.   
  
"What? B…but… I can't… I can't…." Heero didn't bother to look up.   
  
"She's out by Tuesday. If you don't do it, I will and believe me, I won't be as gentle about it." Heero looked up then and Jessie saw that he meant it. Great, Relena and Heero would have been perfect for each other. They both meant what they said.   
  
"Heero, she's my cousin. I haven't seen her in years. I can't believe you'd make me do such a thing!"   
  
"Well, you're not as close as you seem. Because if you were, you'd be upstairs right now, talking to her." It was a reasonable observation, but Jessie was ready for it.   
  
"She's tired and she wanted to change her clothes." Heero's eyes narrowed a little, but he turned back to the figures on the papers spread out in front of him.   
  
"She's gone Tuesday. You got that Jessie?" Jessie put on the worst glare she could come up with.   
  
"Heero, you're being so unreasonable. Please, let her stay for a week or two. Please?" I don't get to see her and I leave in two days again and I won't be back until later, so I want some time with her after I get back too." Heero was silent for a long time.   
  
"If she is here after a week, I'm going to kick her out," he finally mumbled. Jessie smiled thankfully and ran forward and pecked Heero on the cheek, which he brushed her off like an annoying fly.   
  
"Why are you so uncomfortable with Relena? I thought you would get along nicely with her, but you seem to hate her and you've not even spoken a word to her."   
  
"I don't like her," he said simply. Jessie stiffened. This was going to be tough. Maybe in another day or two he would come around.   
  
Relena walked down the steps of the house and she found a note on the kitchen table and read that Jessie had gone to the store to get some groceries and would probably be back in a little while. Relena smiled. So, Jessie was already at it. Leaving her and Heero home alone, without any supervision. She smiled, and wondered where the little darling could be now. She wore a tight T-shirt and a pair of short jeans. She made her way into the small living room and found him pouring over some papers. Quietly, she walked around the back of the chair and leaned over to look at his work, bringing her dangerously close to touching him. She knew that he was aware of her presence, but he chose to ignore it. She smiled to herself and she knew that her perfume was filling his mind now with lovely thoughts. In a low voice, she whispered.   
  
"What are you doing?" Heero didn't move, but only continued to look up the figures. Relena glared in frustration. She straightened.   
  
"You know, it's kind of polite to answer a question." Heero continued to work. Relena rolled her eyes and flung herself down on a couch in front of the coffee table between them. She looked up at the ceiling. Only the tick of the clock kept her company and the clicks of the small machine that Heero was typing figures into. Slowly, Relena turned her head and with half closed eyes, examining the papers. Her eyes twinkled when she recognized the work.   
  
"So, you're working on some accounts," she commented. Heero continued on relentlessly. Relena was becoming annoyed, but instead of commenting on Heero's behavior, she got up and walked to one side of the table and eyed the papers. One of the particular papers had red marks all over it of a red pen and it was obvious that there was a certain problem for that account and Heero was saving it for a while later.   
  
"May I?" she asked as she reached for the paper. Heero, quick as lightening, snatched up the paper and put it on the furthest side. Relena glared at him.   
  
"The problem was that the computer had put all the figures in the wrong order, that's why you were having a hard time finding the balance." Heero shifted a little and kept his head bowed as he penciled in some more figures. "The Tetsu family shouldn't be paying 5,000 yen a month, it was supposed to be 15,000 yen instead." Heero ignored her still.   
  
"If the first monthly figure was switched around with the fifth monthly figure, I'm sure your answer would work out a lot better." Still no acknowledgement. Relena glared over at Heero and got up slowly and turned around to leave the room. Mumbling under her breath, "Pigheaded, ass." Then she walked into the kitchen. After she had left, Heero looked up at the door and back at the paper she was commenting on. Slowly, he picked it up and looked it over. He felt surprised when he realized that she was right. It was amazing, she had practically nailed it right on the head. He glanced up at the door that she had disappeared through.   
  
Without a second thought, he returned to his papers. 


	3. renaflow3

Chapter 3  
  
Relena was beginning to wonder where Jessie was. She was gone over an hour and Relena wasn't getting anywhere with this human stone. She paced the kitchen as she sipped at some coffee. It was now pouring rain out and it was getting dark. Finally, Relena saw the impossibility of this whole thing and she mumbled something about hopping the first bus for the slums. She pulled her stuff together into her suitcase and waited in her room for Jessie to come home. When she heard the door open then slam shut from the wind, she walked downstairs in her overcoat and long pants and sweater. Jessie was shaking off the rain and before Relena could say anything Heero stormed into the hall. He was glaring down at Jessie and by the looks of it, it seemed as if he was going to hit her. Relena saw it coming and quickly ran down the stairs and stood before him. She glared at his icy face and knew that she had finally met her match in a fight.   
  
"Don't you touch her." Though Jessie was annoying, she still couldn't stand the thought of a woman being beaten by a man. It was unthinkable to her, but Dorothy had told her it was natural and that it was okay. That was a load of bull. Heero glared past her at Jessie. Relena blocked his vision once again.   
  
"Don't touch her," she repeated in a low monotone voice. She gave him clear warning, but he only stared down at her with a cruel coldness.   
  
"You think that I would do such a thing? That I would hit her? I would never harm a defenseless woman," he said coldly. Relena felt some of the air leaving her sails, but she continued to glare.   
  
"Fine, but if a person comes home after being drenched in rain, cold, and tired, I would think that the last thing they would want is someone charging them like a bull let into an arena!" Heero glared down at her, focusing only on her now. She actually had the guts to stand up to him? That was new. He decided he was going to enjoy this because it wasn't often he met someone who could stand against him. Jessie was weak and Heero was surprised by the sudden and emotionless thought.   
  
It angered him in fact.   
  
"I have the right to be upset with her if I want."   
  
"You don't have any right! No one has a right to yell at anyone because they were a little late."   
  
"A little! She was hours past the time that she was supposed to be home."   
  
"Maybe her car broke down on the side of the road, or maybe she was delayed in traffic. Then there's always the possibility that she took longer then she expected!"   
  
"Why are you defending her? She should have called, or…"   
  
"Or what? What if she didn't have access to a phone? Huh? Maybe she…"   
  
"You are interfering in a matter that doesn't concern you!"   
  
"Yes it does! She's my cousin! I have every right!" Heero's eyes narrowed.   
  
"Are you really?"   
  
"What?" The question caught her by surprise.   
  
"Are you really her cousin?" Relena should have felt smug and turned to smirk at Jessie, saying the jig was up, but instead, she felt a bit of dread wash over her. It was strange and mostly unwelcome.   
  
"Of course we're cousins you idiot of a man! I haven't seen Jessie in a long time and I was hoping for a nice stay with her, but if I had known she had hooked up with a jackass, I would have just stayed in the states! If not, stayed on a doorstep on the streets somewhere! It's better than staying here!" Relena turned around to Jessie.   
  
"I don't care what you say, I'm leaving, I can't stand this asshole anymore. He's been driving me nuts ever since I got here!" Relena began to brush by Heero, but his hand flew out and caught her arm. She was shocked at first, but then she felt her muscles tense. His glare could have killed a person right on the spot, but Relena was so unreasonably furious at the moment, she could have knocked him down with a single glance, but unfortunately, both were evenly matched. Relena looked down at her arm and glanced back up at him. He didn't seem to get the hint so she tugged at her arm to break loose, but he still wouldn't let go. Finally Jessie came to her rescue.   
  
"Please, Relena. Stay." Relena turned around and smiled a little and shook her head.   
  
"Sorry, I'm going to head for a hotel somewhere. If not, I've got some friends I want to see here as well. With this asshole in the house, I can't survive!" Relena began to turn, but she noticed that Heero still had her arm. She glared at him and reached up to pull off his hand, but it wouldn't relent. Finally, she stated plainly for him to let her go.   
  
"It's raining out." Relena shrugged and pulled again, still no release.   
  
"I'm leaving tonight, even if it kills me!" She wrenched her arm from his grasp and sped up the stairs.   
  
"It just may," mumbled Jessie as she ran up after her 'cousin.' She reached her room and saw that Relena had already packed.   
  
"I thought we had a deal!" whispered Jessie fiercely. Relena glanced up at her as she pulled on her boots.   
  
"Sorry, no deal is worth that gorgeous son of a bitch." Relena pushed back her hair as she tied one shoe. "Don't worry, I won't mention the deal to him, we're cousins as far as he knows, but I'm outta here, hun. Sorry." Relena picked up her suitcase and began to walk out, but Jessie's arm shot out and blocked the door.   
  
"Please… I am begging you. Please stay." Relena hesitated and stopped dead in her tracks and dropped her suitcase.   
  
"Hey, what's wrong? You never sounded this desperate before," said Relena with some concern. "That jerk doesn't beat you, does he?" she asked quietly. Jessie shook her head.   
  
"I can't stand it anymore. He's always so cold. Never talks unless he has to. I can't take it. At least with you here, I can talk to someone other than a human wall. Please stay." She was lonely! Relena was shocked at the thought of it. Jessie only wanted someone to talk to. Relena's eyes softened a little, but she picked up her suitcase once again.   
  
Jessie almost broke down in tears, but she stopped herself when Relena turned and put it back down on the bed and opened it to unpack once again. Jessie smiled genuinely and ran up to Relena and throwing her arms around her neck.   
  
"Thank you so much!" She hugged her tightly and Relena knew that if she didn't get some air soon, she would faint. Finally, Jessie released her and she ran out of the room without another word. Sighing, Relena turned to her suitcase.   
  
She was almost done when she felt someone standing behind her. Slowly she stopped unpacking and turned to her book on the table and picked it up. She got up and laid down on the bed and began to read. He continued to stand there.   
  
"What do you want?" she finally asked, not standing his presence anymore.   
  
"You're not leaving," he said plainly. Well, it was obvious, wasn't it?   
  
"You're lucky that my cousin can convince so well." Relena turned back to her book, but he remained where he was.   
  
"How did you know about that account for the Tetsu family?" he asked in a monotone voice. Relena only spared him a glance.   
  
"I studied to become an accountant at one point or another."   
  
"You stopped." It was a statement, not a question. Relena only nodded.   
  
"Yeah. I stopped learning a while ago. Heero, if there is something you need just say it so that I can get back to reading," she said impatiently. Heero nodded in recognition and turned to leave. "Oh and I'm sorry for accusing you of hitting Jessie. That was out of place and I shouldn't have done that," mumbled Relena quietly. Heero paused and glanced back at her, but she seemed so interested in her book, that it was almost as if she hadn't said anything, but she had and they both knew it.   
  
Jessie was leaving. It was Wednesday and Relena found that she was not looking forward to spending the next four days alone with that cold man. She had to admit that he wasn't completely stone, but he did a damn good imitation of it. She waved as Jessie drove out of the driveway and headed down the road. Heero only stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring after Jessie's car. Relena turned around and walked back into the house, but Heero stopped her by grabbing her arm in a vice like grip.   
  
"What are you two up to?" Relena was bewildered.   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"You know exactly what I mean. You two are up to something." Relena shrugged.   
  
"Think what you'd like, but I'm going to go in and make myself a cup of coffee. Want some?" she asked innocently. She turned for the door and Heero let her go amazingly. She breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, she could avoid him as much as possible. She stood in the kitchen, fixing the coffee, when Heero walked in and sat down. He was staring at her. She could feel his eyes boring into her back. She turned around and smiled sweetly.   
  
"Well, the coffee is going to be ready in a little bit, help yourself, I'm going to go upstairs and finish my book. Goodnight." She began to walk past him despite what she had said earlier of having the cup of coffee.   
  
"Are you going to do this the whole time she's gone?" Relena stopped and smiled.   
  
"As long as I can keep it up," she admitted.   
  
"Tell me why you would want to avoid me." Relena smiled.   
  
"First of all, you're not the world's best conversationalist, second, you are rather cold in every way, third…"   
  
"Every way huh?" Was that amusement in his eyes? He looked different like that. Better and twenty times more handsome. She was shocked by the slight change.   
  
"Y… yes. Every way possible. Now… I'm going to go finish my book and…"   
  
"I don't think I'm all that cold." Relena let out a laugh.   
  
"That's definitely a lie! You're cold and heartless and nonhuman and…" He cut her off by grabbing her arms and pulling her against him. His eyes were dark as he stared into her eyes.   
  
"Do I feel cold right now?" he asked darkly. He was quite the opposite. He was… warm, so amazingly warm, or maybe it was her, she couldn't tell. She knew she was blushing, but she was surprised as in to why. Heero was so warm and so masculine; it was like it was her first time to be held like that. Now that she thought of it, it was kind of her first time.   
  
None of the other men she had been with had held her in such a way. It was strange. Relena started to lean back, but Heero stopped her.   
  
"I'm not all that cold Relena. You have yet to learn that," he whispered. Relena looked up startled into his eyes. They were deep ocean blue at that very moment. It was coming, she could feel it. A kiss as hot as a desert in the middle of the day. She could already feel its heat before their lips even met. Their lips never did meet; the doorbell rang, interrupting the moment. Relena jumped back and walked quickly out of the kitchen. With some frustration at herself and at Heero, she yanked it open and glared at the person at the door.   
  
"What is it?" she yelled. The person seemed to go into shock.   
  
"Uh… I think I've got the wrong address. I'm sorry to inconvenience you…" The young man around Heero's age turned back around and prepared to leave, but Heero appeared from behind Relena.   
  
"Duo, what are you doing here?" he asked calmly. Duo spun around and smiled at his friend.   
  
"Man, I thought I was going crazy!" he commented as he walked back up the stairs to the door. Relena let him in apologetically.   
  
"You're at the right house. I'm sorry I snapped at you, I am just tired, that's all," apologized Relena. She turned away and began to make her way up the stairs. Duo and Heero stared after her and Heero noticed how Duo was staring at Relena's lower area and he glared at his friend. Duo gave an innocent shrug as they made their way into the living room.   
  
"She is one good looking babe. What ever happened to Jessie?" asked Duo as he took a seat on the couch.   
  
"Relena is Jessie's cousin from the states." Duo raised his eyebrows.   
  
"How long she staying? I'd sure like to get to know her better." Heero hated that strange feeling in him as Duo mentioned that.   
  
"She's staying for another week, that's all," he snapped a little too quickly. Duo put his hands up as if to surrender.   
  
"Hey, I didn't mean any disrespect, I was just commenting on how nice she looked." Heero was satisfied with that.   
  
"So, why are you here?" asked Heero.   
  
"Well, I was driving by and I was wondering how my good old buddy Heero was doing." Heero didn't believe him for a moment.   
  
"You're TV broke down during the soccer game, didn't it?" he asked as if in routine.   
  
"Yeah! That stupid piece of junk is never going to work properly! I should have thrown it in for a piece of scrap a long time ago!" Heero rolled his eyes and motioned to the TV in the corner.   
  
"Be my guest," he mumbled as he glanced at the paperwork on the table. Suddenly, it didn't seem as welcoming as before. His mind was somewhere upstairs. He shook his head to clear it when Duo's loud voice yelled.   
  
"That was not illegal! Open your eyes you big idiot! Geez! You shouldn't even be on the field!" Heero rolled his eyes as the usual evening was about to take place. He prepared for the others to show up. For some odd reason, his other few friends always managed to show up exactly when Duo did. Twenty minutes later, all the others had arrived and were sitting or jumping on the couches and chairs in front of the TV set. Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa. It was surprising to see that men as quiet and reserved, as the three could be so involved with soccer. They all groaned as a pass was intercepted.   
  
Quatre actually cursed and threw everyone off track into a brief shocked moment. Suddenly, the phone rang and Heero continued to look at the paperwork, but Duo glanced up in annoyance.   
  
"Hey, Heero, your phone's ringing. Heero! Phone!" Duo looked back at the TV. "Oh, come on! That was pathetic! Get that ball! Get it! That's it!" Heero rolled his eyes and got up to answer the phone.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
"Hi, is Lovely there?"   
  
"I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number."   
  
"Really? She told me that this was the number. Oh, stupid me, I'm sorry, I mean is Relena there? This is her friend Candy… er… Hilde." Heero received odd looks from the others and he shrugged in helplessness.   
  
"Yes, hold on a moment please." Heero walked up the stairs quietly to Relena's room. The door was shut. He knocked quietly and opened it a little.   
  
"Relena?" She lay on her bed quietly sleeping. The beauty that lay before him entranced him. Why couldn't Jessie look like an angel when she was asleep? The thought surprised him. He walked over and knelt next to her bed, examining her face.   
  
"Relena?" he whispered into her ear. She sighed and leaned more towards his voice. Heero reached up and shook her shoulder. She responded by rolling the other way, taking his hand with her. His hand was crushed beneath her and he was losing his balance very quickly.   
  
He gasped at the heat that was rushing into his face. He tried to dislodge his hand, but it was held tight. He couldn't let Relena wake up with him like this, but it was too late, her eyes popped open and they widened when she glanced down at his hand and then up at him. Instead of slapping him or screaming, she smiled a little and reached up slowly to cup his cheek. He was hypnotized, that must have been it. He lowered his head slowly, not resisting the urges that he felt to taste her lips. Relena moaned slightly and shifted so that she held his hand tighter to her chest. Heero felt his neck going red as well, but he didn't have the strength or courage to let go of this lifeline. Finally, Relena smiled a little and let him go. All in good time, she thought.   
  
"That was nice," she whispered. Heero didn't respond, he only began to lean forward bit by bit. He wanted more of that sweetness. He was warm all over when he kissed her and he wanted that warmth again. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Relena avoided it by asking what he had come up for and he remembered the girl on the phone.   
  
"Some girl is asking for you on the phone. Her name is… Candy… uh, Hilde, I think." Relena's eyes sparkled with delight as she sat bolt up and ran down the stairs at lightening speed. She stopped to glare when she saw Duo standing on the phone having a long and flirtatious conversation with her friend. Relena walked up and glared at Duo, holding up a hand and twitching her fingers back in forth in a gesture to hand over the phone.   
  
"I gotta go, babe. I hope we can meet sometime. Jessie never told me that her cousin had connections with nice sounding women." Relena rolled her eyes and grabbed the phone.   
  
"Hilde!" she cried. Her cry caught the guys in the living room attention and they all turned around to stare at the girl clad only in a t-shirt and boxers. The t-shirt read, 'This ain't a one night stand baby because you're going to be here all week long.' Duo gulped after he finished reading it and he quickly turned back to the living room and sat down, blushing greatly.   
  
Relena's face was bright and suddenly began to turn red with frustration. She did not look happy at all.   
  
"What do you mean, she's trying to take over my position? You and the other girls said yourselves that you would take care of it for me!"   
  
"I'm sorry, Lovely, but this Brittany slut just waltzed in and started to take over the whole block, I think she's going for city domination. Even I'm getting beat pretty badly for this one." Relena glared at nothing for a moment.   
  
"Honey, we're all sluts, now hold on, I'll be there in a few minutes." She hung up and turned to face some men with jaws dropped. At the word slut, they all turned around to gaze at her cautiously. She only smiled innocently and ran upstairs to where Heero was waiting outside her room. She hesitated, but then ran for her door. Heero's arm shot out and caught her before she could go any further. Quickly, he pulled her in and didn't let her go.   
  
"What are you doing?" she asked annoyed. Heero only bowed his head as he pulled her back up against his chest. She felt so good to be there. Almost like it was natural. It never felt like this with him with Jessie. He hooked his arm around her waist and squeezed her against him even more. She gasped at the heat he radiated. He wasn't cold at all! In fact, he was making her burn from inside.   
  
"H…Heero, I…" He lowered his head and he nibbled at her ear a little. She was so damn good. He had to do this, just once. He saw that she was restraining herself. He lowered his lips to her neck.   
  
"I can't… Jessie…" The name stopped him cold. He couldn't do it. Not with Jessie still his girlfriend. Slowly, like a child giving up a piece of candy, he let her go and stepped away. Relena's face was flushed as she turned and bolted for her room. She quickly began to dig through her stuff in her drawers.   
  
"What are you doing?" asked Heero sharply. She was leaving. Because he was going out with her cousin and he had kissed her instead of Jessie. She was leaving him. Heero's heart skipped a beat.   
  
"I have some business to take care of. I'll be back in an hour." Relena grabbed her coat and stuffed some money in her pocket. She turned around and stared at Heero's face. She smiled reassuringly.   
  
"I'll be back. One of my friends here is having some trouble at work and I need to go help her. Don't worry. I'll be back soon." She raced out of the room and down the stairs. Her car was parked outside and she was gone within a few seconds. Heero watched from her window as she took off. He looked out of the hills and down below the downtown city. 


	4. renaflow4

Chapter 4  
  
Relena smiled as the familiar slums came into view. The girls standing on the stoops eyed her cautiously as she made her way towards her own stoop where she had stood only a few days before. Her uneasiness vanished into outrage when she spotted a girl standing in her place. She barely let her fingers brush the knife hidden on her belt. As she approached, the girl gave her an arrogant look.   
  
"Well well well," commented Relena as she drew closer. "What have we here?" Her voice rang out like a gunshot and several windows opened and disheveled heads poked out to watch the sight below. Her friends were a few of them Cathy yelled down a greeting to her friend.   
  
"Hey Lovely! Glad you're back!" Relena waved with a grim look on her face.   
  
"Yeah me too, but I see you guys didn't take care of my place. You let a hussy have it! Unlike her, I'm sure I've got a lot more class." She turned back to the girl who gave her a cold look.   
  
"You back from your vacation Lovely?" called down Noin. Relena smiled.   
  
"Sorry Smartgirl just came to take care of some business." She didn't look away from the girl. "Get… off… my… stoop. That stoop is my place and with you on it, it makes me wonder, what are all my wonderful clients going to do? They'll be so confused after such unsatisfying sessions." Brittany glared at her again.   
  
"You're gone, Lovely. I've got your place now, go back from where you came from." Relena's eyes narrowed. Relena turned and yelled up to someone.   
  
"Hey, Outrageous!" She kept her eyes on Brittany. Natria yelled down to her.   
  
"What ya' need Lovely?" A man's head poked out as well.   
  
"Hey! Lovely! Hey guys! Lovely's back!" he yelled. The other men poked their heads out and saw she was. Catcalls and loud whistles showed their appreciation. Relena ignored them.   
  
"Outrageous, do I have a reputation?"   
  
"Sure as hell!" yelled Natria. Relena yelled again.   
  
"Hey Candy!"   
  
"Yeah Lovely?" yelled Hilde.   
  
"Who has a waiting list the size of Japan on this side of town?"   
  
"You Lovely!" Hilde sensed a fight and she couldn't wait to see it break out. It was obvious to everyone that Relena was one of the better fighters in the slums but it seemed Brittany didn't.   
  
"Skank!"   
  
"Yeah!" yelled Dorothy.   
  
"Who has the most jobs here on this side of Japan?"   
  
"You all the way!" Relena faced Brittany again with raised eyebrows.   
  
"I'd say my place is still in tact." Brittany was losing her confidence quickly. "So, I suggest you get your miniscule ass off my stoop and find a different city to torture with what you call a public service." Brittany was furious and she flew forward with hot red manicured nails. Relena wasn't quite ready and stalled when reaching for her knife. The nails caught the skin and a little blood trickled down. I can cover it with make up, thought Relena for a second, before she was distracted once again. The knife was out in a flash. No one saw the slash, but trickle of blood sliding down Brittany's cheek showed of Relena's move. Everything was silent as everyone watched a drop of blood hit the cement. Brittany, in shock, slowly reached up and touched the deep cut and brought her hand back down to stare at the blood. Suddenly, she fainted. A cheer of victory went up for her. Relena twirled the knife skillfully and it was suddenly back in her belt.   
  
"Make sure my place is still here and unoccupied. I've got a job to finish be back in a few days or so!" She waved and was gone. Cathy turned in the window and commented over to Natria.   
  
"She was bleeding." Natria shrugged and returned to her job, as did the others.   
  
Relena drove home, satisfied with the results of her reclaiming her place. She smiled, as she remained undefeated. Her legend was to live on. No one was going to take her from her throne. They were all equal, but it was unspoken when it came to who was leader. It was like a rule that had developed without anyone aware of it. Relena was in control and her advisors, all the others she trusted with her life. She sneered every time she remembered how she had ended up there. Studying college student who couldn't keep up with the studies and bills. Night job turned into a new way of big money. She smiled. She was better off than anyone might have thought, only because she worked to keep her reputation up. This job she had was a risk to leave for so long, but she decided she needed something new for once.   
  
Finally, she reached the house and saw that the lights were on, but the other cars were gone. Heero was still up then. This was going to be bad. She shivered when she remembered his earlier attitude. Slowly, quietly, she made her way inside. He was in the kitchen, she could tell. Maybe if she went fast enough he wouldn't catch her. She got half way up the stairs before he called to her.   
  
"Where did you go?"   
  
"I had to take care of some business. That's all. I'm going to head up and go to bed." Suddenly, she remembered the cut on her cheek and wanted to get away as quickly as possible, but there was no luck in that area that night. Heero stepped out of the kitchen holding a mug of coffee. He took one glance at her face and his eyes narrowed considerably.   
  
"What happened to your face?" he asked in a monotone voice. Relena smiled and shrugged.   
  
"I accidentally ran into an open door." Better sounding like a fool then admitting the truth.   
  
"A door doesn't make four claw marks all in a row. Who gave you those marks?" he asked a little more stiffly. Relena was becoming angry.   
  
"You know, that's none of your business. Since when did you care?" she cried in annoyance. "I'm going to go up and soak in the tub the rest of the evening so just leave me alone!" Relena began to make her way back up the stairs, but Heero stopped her by reaching through the bars of the railing on the staircase and grabbing a passing ankle. Relena tripped and fell. It took Heero only a moment or two to vault over and land on the stairs and pinning her down. She was helpless and she sat there glaring up at Heero.   
  
"Heero, I suggest you get off of me this instant before I do something so uncomfortable, you may not be able to survive it," she growled. When he didn't move, she spoke of doing something so foul to him that he tightened his grip in caution. Relena growled and tried to struggle once again, but he was too strong.   
  
"Can I get a straight answer without getting a smart ass remark from you?" asked Heero. Relena sat there and refused to reply. She only shot daggers with her eyes. Heero was unfazed.   
  
"Where did you get that scratch?"   
  
"I got into a cat fight ok? Some bitch was trying for a position in my friend's job and I wasn't going to let her give it up right away. The little floozy got more than she expected." Relena smiled a little in remembrance of Brittany's shocked face. She came back to present when Heero's hands loosened to a light grip, but she didn't move. She didn't dare for fear of… fear of what?   
  
"Come on let's get that cut cleaned up," stated Heero. Relena refused to move.   
  
"It's a small scrape. Would you back off and stop acting like a mother hen." Heero's grip returned.   
  
"Listen…"   
  
"No you listen. I'm tired and want to go to bed. So if you don't mind, I'd like to get up and you leave me alone."   
  
"You want me to leave you alone?" asked Heero in that low voice. Relena glared up at him.   
  
"Yes," she said bluntly.   
  
"You sure?" She was going to snap at him, but his hands slowly slipped down her sides, making her gasp. Her eyes clouded over into a dreamy haze. His hands massaged and rubbed and flexed on her sides and hips. She slowly rose up off the stairs and took his lips. Heero took this opportunity and began to kiss her as well, sending her mind spiraling. He believed he was in total control, but in reality neither could gain even a little. Relena gasped as Heero reached down to her jeans, rubbing lower and massaging. Relena only remembered giving pleasantries to others, and now, it was wonderful to have someone trying to please her instead. She sighed when Heero's hands brushed her legs. Then he brought them back up to slide past her chest and up her neck and to cup her cheeks. Relena was surprised when she felt a few tears run down her cheeks. Heero was shocked by this and pulled back abruptly.   
  
"Relena?" he asked unsurely. Relena smiled a little and Heero relaxed again. He lowered himself back down to her to resume what they had left unfinished. Relena let him have full access to her and she was awed by his carefulness and consideration. She loved the feeling. Relena groaned. She didn't notice when Heero picked her up. He simply kissed her all the way up to her room and shut the door for the rest of the night.   
  
Duo smiled as he stared around the bar and saw the indicated table that he had told… Hilde was her name… that he was going to meet her. He had literally fallen in love with her voice the moment he picked up the phone. He was curious of the caller for some strange reason. He saw a beautiful young woman sitting there, leaning over a glass of beer. He swallowed and signaled Trowa to follow him. Hilde had asked him if he had any friends that were quiet and would let others do the talking. He had immediately thought of Trowa and agreed to convince him to come with him. Sitting on the other end of the booth was another young woman. She had brown hair and beautiful eyes that shined in the dim lights of the hectic bar. The girl with brown hair turned and looked up as if she could tell the two men were staring at them. The other young woman turned as well and saw them. Her eyes were cool as she examined them closely. Duo blushed a little and walked over and Trowa followed.   
  
Trowa examined the two young women that were sitting there to greet them. The one with the dark hair was smiling cheerfully. She wore a short shirt that was nearly see-through and shorts that rose way above the line of being improper. The other wore a brassiere looking top that was hot red and she wore shorts as well that were rag tag in patches all over. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the both looked like any man's dream.   
  
"You must be Duo," said the girl with the dark hair. She stood up and stuck out her hand for him to shake. Duo only stared for a moment and placed his hand in hers as well.   
  
"It's nice to meet you, Hilde. Glad we got to talk on the phone." Hilde smiled.   
  
"I'd like to introduce you to Cathy. She's my friend from back home." Cathy nodded coolly, not extending a hand. She didn't know if she could trust these men at all. The other one with brown hair seemed rather… cold and distant. Well, if he was going to be like that, then why should she make the effort? Her heart rushed at the eye contact they made and she quickly averted her eyes to the dance floor of the bar. Hilde invited the others to sit down.   
  
"So, how did you and Relena come to know each other." Hilde shrugged.   
  
"We met her a few years back when we were all trying to go for college, it turns out that business didn't quite turn out, so we quit school and tried to start our own lives the way we wanted," answered Cathy for Hilde. Trowa seemed to glare at the part where they all quit college.   
  
"Too bad Relena dropped though, she was great at being the accountant. She handles all the cash flow in our business. Man, she has those numbers down as if they were her own invention." Duo smiled at the wording Hilde used. She was a warm-hearted person. One could tell just by looking at her.   
  
"So, what do you do for business?" asked Trowa disinterestedly. Hilde and Cathy had been informed of the situation that Relena was in and they had debated on what they should say if the subject should come up. Well, it did and amazingly, both had forgotten what it was they were going to say. Hilde sputtered out an answer.   
  
"We are with social services." Hilde shot Cathy a nervous look. At least it was somewhat true. Duo seemed satisfied with that answer and he momentarily returned his attention to his glass.   
  
"I take it that you know who Jessie is then, right?" Cathy replied this time.   
  
"Actually, Relena, being that she was in the states for so long, never got to introduce us to her cousin." Cathy didn't like lying, but if it meant to cover for Relena, then sure, she'd do it with no hesitation whatsoever. Trowa's cold eyes landed on Cathy and she shivered involuntarily.   
  
"Hilde, may I ask you to dance?" said Duo with an air of being in a fancy restaurant and asking a lady to dance with him. Hilde gave him an odd look. Maybe one of wonder, it was best described. Hilde only nodded and held out her hand for Duo to grip. Slowly, they made their way to the dark dance floor where the heat of movement was mixed with the fast rhythmic music. Now, Cathy and Trowa were left alone only to sit quietly in an uncomfortable silence. She felt as if she was going to be smothered by it. She hated it when she met a dead personality guy. It wasn't any fun.   
  
"What kind of social service are you involved in?" asked Trowa suddenly. It caught Cathy off guard. Her mind quickly began to brainstorm for an idea. Finally, she blurted out that she was part of the police force. He didn't believe her. It was written all over his face. The way his jaw tightened. How his eyes became even more distant. How his head lowered dangerously so that she couldn't see his facial expression in the next instant.   
  
"I don't know anything about you. What do you do for a living?" asked Cathy with as much interest as she could muster. Why had she let Hilde talk her into this? Why? She knew she would have to lie for Relena. The moment Hilde said that she was going to meet a friend of Relena's latest client; she knew that this was going to happen. Trowa didn't seem to answer right away.   
  
"I'm involved with social services as well." Cathy stiffened slightly, but managed to force a smile.   
  
"That's interesting, I haven't seen you before." Trowa's eyes narrowed and that cold sense of dread returned to Cathy.   
  
"That's funny, the same here." His whole body language was screaming that his statement was used as sarcasm and insinuating something else.   
  
"Hey, are you saying that I do not belong to the police force? Because I can tell you right now buddy, I have a pair of handcuffs at home just in case." Cathy forced herself not to laugh at the second thought of what she had just said. Yes, it was true, she had a pair of handcuffs, but it was not for arresting anyone, at least not for any longer than an hour or two.   
  
"I didn't say anything. I just said that I hadn't seen you in the police force before." Cathy turned her nose up.   
  
"Listen, I don't have to sit here and have my credibility smashed by someone. If you have a problem with me, just say it straight out." Cathy hated being scrutinized and then treated, as if nothing was wrong, especially when she knew something was up. She began to stand up and look for Hilde but Trowa's voice stopped her.   
  
"Who are you two trying to kid?" whispered Trowa. Cathy spun around and her eyes showed that they had been found out. Her smile, the way she held herself high, all told him that he had hit his mark. He felt a bit of the 'I knew it!' feeling. He smiled a little.   
  
"Who are you all really? Who is Relena? She does not look like Jessie and they are definitely not related." Cathy smiled.   
  
"Boy, aren't we bright," she muttered. "Listen, I'm sure you want to be here as much I do, which is none. If I'm guessing right, your friend over there," she nodded towards Duo, who was dancing in his own little world with Hilde. "He dragged you along as was I. Am I right?" Trowa only gave a slight grunt. Cathy smiled.   
  
"Hey, I'm heading out. Tell Candy, I'm heading out, I'm sure I can find some acquaintance to take me home. Sorry tonight wasn't so great. I'll see you 'round." Cathy turned and headed for the door. Trowa's eyes remained on her as she made her way through the crowd. Suddenly a man shouted out a name and she stopped and waved. The man that had yelled out to her stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist and they began to walk out together. Trowa's eyes narrowed as he saw the other man's arm slyly make its way around Cathy's side and his hand conveniently landed almost on her rear. She didn't seem to mind at all. She listened to what the man was whispering into her ear and laughed a little. She wasn't enjoying herself at all, and even looked hesitant in going with the man, but she looked as if it was a chore she didn't want to do, but was required.   
  
She had come as close as possible to admitting that she had lied. Trowa saw that instantly. From her actions and attitude, he could tell that she didn't like lying either and did not like the idea of meeting a stranger like that. She seemed almost afraid that he was going to jump her, or she was anticipating something, but she seemed relieved when she made her way out. That relief was gone as she was greeted by that other man. Trowa saw it all click into place. His eyes shot back to Hilde. The way she moved, her attitude, the way she dressed, her extra little name, what Relena had mentioned earlier on the phone, about all of them being sluts, it clicked, but why was Relena over at Heero and Jessie's? Trowa shook his head in confusion. Cathy had practically told him straight out who and what she was and seemed to want to make him realize this.   
  
Finally, after it seemed hours, Duo and Hilde made their way over to the table. Hilde looked around in surprise.   
  
"Where's Cathy? She didn't go home did she?"   
  
"Actually, yes, she did. She left with some guy. I guess she must have known him before. A look of knowing passed over Hilde's face and Trowa's earlier assumptions were proven.   
  
"Hey, Duo, I'm bushed and I think I'll head out. I'll talk to you later."   
  
"Actually, I'm really sorry, but I have to get going too. If Cathy left so early, I guess I better be getting along tonight too." Duo looked disappointed, but didn't stop Hilde from getting ready to leave. Hilde gathered up her purse and when she turned around to leave, Duo was standing there.   
  
"Can I take you home? It is late and…" Hilde smiled sweetly.   
  
"Usually, I would let a guy take me home, but I guess tonight isn't such a great idea. I have to be going now…" Hilde moved to go around him, but Duo stopped her once again.   
  
"Would I be able to call you? We could do this again sometime." Hilde smiled, a look of sadness in her eyes.   
  
"We'll have to see. Everything is kind of… complicated."   
  
"But…" Duo's eyes seemed to drill into hers, but Hilde resisted the force that was making her want to tell him yes. She shook off the strange feeling.   
  
"I have to go. I hope we do get to go out sometime, but right now… it's too confusing. Goodnight Trowa, it was nice meeting you. I'm sorry Cathy skipped out like that; I'll talk to her later." She quickly made her exit. Duo stared after her and sighed when he turned around. His eyes caught the gleam of amusement in Trowa's own eyes.   
  
"What's so funny?" he asked in annoyance. Trowa only looked down at his glass.   
  
"I suggest you don't get too close to her." Duo glared at him.   
  
"Why?" he snapped.   
  
"Because she's a prostitute." Duo stared at Trowa and his eyes grew hard with contempt. Trowa saw it and only smiled. He got up and reached for his jacket.   
  
"Just think about that for a while. It'll all fit sooner or later. My suggestion is prove it to yourself. Her name is Candy on the street." Duo shot a death look at his friend.   
  
"How would you know?"   
  
"Cathy told me her name was Candy." Duo seemed to swing his gaze back to the door that Hilde had just left through. 


	5. renaflow5

Chapter 5  
  
It was raining now. Quatre was out getting groceries, but now that the outside market was closing, there was no point in staying. He was on his way home with the usual angelic look on his face. It was a terrible downpour. As he was just turning a corner, along the side of the sidewalk, he heard the echo of running footsteps. His curiosity caught hold of him and he turned his head to see who was in such a hurry. It was a young woman with brown hair and wearing patched jeans and a short brassiere. Her brown hair had come loose from a ponytail that was now history. She seemed to be running from someone. She wasn't looking where she was going and tripped over something in the alley she was running down. Quatre caught her just in time and she looked like she was about ready to faint. Judging by her features, she was very beautiful, but those features were flushed. She had a fever. A loud crashing sound down the alley caught his attention and he said a raving drunk tripping his way towards them. Quatre glanced around and saw his car that was parked further down the street. He picked up the young woman, even though she protested some, but was too tired and sick to do any real damage. He managed to get to his car, put the young woman inside and get into his other side. The drunk looked around after he had managed to come out of the alley way and saw the car with two people in it. Quatre tried to start the car desperately, but it sputtered several times. The drunk was closer now. Quatre swore, which was a rare occasion. Finally, the engine roared into life and he was down the street with the mad drunk shaking his fist after the car. After getting further away, Quatre glanced over at the young woman.   
  
"May I ask where you live so I can drop you off with someone who can take care of you?" The young woman was leaning on her hand, as if she had a headache.   
  
"Just drop me off at the slums. I work there. Where I live, you won't want to go." Quatre knew where she was living and frankly, he didn't really care at this point.   
  
"Where do you live?" he said firmly. The young woman looked slightly surprised and blurted out the address. Quatre changed directions and headed out for the slums.   
  
"By the way, my name is Quatre."   
  
"Cathy… Cathy Bloom, but friends just call me Sweets."   
  
"So how did you get hooked up with a guy like that?" She didn't seem to want to tell him.   
  
"Well, he must have recognized me and decided he would walk me home." Quatre heard the irony of it.   
  
"We were on the way down to the slums when I found out he was a lot drunker than he looked. I took off and he started after me. Candy had taken me to a bar to meet some friends she had just met and I was already running a fever at the time. I didn't realize it until right when I was about to leave." Quatre nodded in understanding and the ride to the slums was silent. Finally, they reached the doors, which Cathy indicated. Quatre helped Cathy out of the car and that was when about four or five prostitutes ran out from the building. Several ran straight for Cathy and began to take her inside. From above, several others were looking down on him with interest. He chose to ignore them and concentrate on the young woman standing in front of him at that moment.   
  
"I was wondering if you could tell me what happened to my friend." Her gaze was apprehensive and Quatre knew she was only defending her friend, but who was defending her? She had bruises up and down her arms and even a blue mark on her delicate cheekbone.   
  
"She did not feel inclined in taking a man home with her. He was drunk and I took it upon myself to bring her home. As far as I know, that drunk could be downtown raving away at a lamppost right now." The young woman smiled.   
  
"Thank you for doing that. All of them hate it when drunks come around." Quatre rethought what she had said and found that there was something strange in the way she said it.   
  
"Don't you hate it as well?" She gave him an amused look.   
  
"Not me. My part of this business is a lot better. The more drunks, the more customers. It's known throughout the business that I'm the one to come to if you're drunk or a little bit irritated. I sooth it right out of you." Quatre gave her an incredulous look. Dorothy saw it and put her hands on her hips with agitation.   
  
"What? It's not like I'm being murdered. Besides, it's normal for a person to get a little bruised up." Quatre's look didn't change.   
  
"It's… not normal. People don't beat the other while they… make love." Quatre blushed a deep red at his statement and turned his head towards the building. He saw that several young women in the building were staring at him and he blushed again, turning his head down towards the road.   
  
"You've never been in this part of town. Have you?" He shook his head. Dorothy took pity on him and placed a small hand on his shoulder. For such a strong man, he was almost boyish, in a bashful kind of way. His blue eyes slowly came up and he looked at her understanding gaze. She smiled amusedly and turned away.   
  
"Come on. I'm going to change my clothes now. We can have a cup of coffee and talk for a while until Cathy is taken care of." At Quatre's hesitation, she smiled a little and soothed his uncomfortable feelings. "Don't worry, I won't jump you." She led the way into the building and seeing that he didn't have much other of a choice, Quatre followed.   
  
"Mr. Chang, a young woman is here for the interview for the job." Wufei didn't even look up at the voice coming from the door. He just grumbled that the young woman be brought in to his office. He was concentrating on the accounts that sat in front of him. Someone sat down in front of him, waiting patiently. He made no move to acknowledge her. She wiggled in her chair, to get comfortable. After several long minutes, she spoke up.   
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Chang…"   
  
"Yes, yes you're here for the job."   
  
"Yes, and…"   
  
"Listen, I have no time to be interviewing a woman," he said the last with disgust and disdain. The young woman was of course offended, but she held her tongue.   
  
"I was thinking that…"   
  
"Well, do the world a favor and don't think. It's bad enough that women think that they can take over all the jobs men should hold." She held her tongue a little longer.   
  
"Mr. Chang…"   
  
"Are you planning on just sitting there? It's clear that I do not wish to give the job to you."   
  
"Mr. Chang, I was hoping that you would be willing to at least look at my criteria and recommendations."   
  
"Leave them on my desk and leave then." Wufei did not once look up from his paperwork. The young woman's patience was growing thin at this point.   
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chang, but I find that your attitude is rather revolting." That caught his attention and his eyes shot up to stare into an amber pair of eyes. She was a beautiful young woman with dark hair. She wore a business suit. A navy blue skirt, a blouse and jacket with navy high heels. Wufei's eyes narrowed at the challenge that she held in her eyes.   
  
"Would you mind repeating yourself, Miss…" he glanced at her files. "De Lowen." Her eyes narrowed as well.   
  
"I think you heard me correctly. Your rudeness I find absolutely vulgar and I would prefer to take my recommendations somewhere else." She snatched up her files. "I think that if you are ever to be able to hire anyone, you should change your attitude."   
  
"Excuse me!" cried Wufei outraged. "Who are you to say such blasphemy?" She cynically smirked over at him.   
  
"I have met many people before and few have I ever met that treated me as such or anyone as a matter of fact."   
  
"You are speaking loosely."   
  
"As were you a few moments ago. Really, a grown man should know better. Didn't your mother ever teach you to be nicer?" she said with annoyance. Wufei glared.   
  
"My mother died when I was 14 years of age," he said angrily. Any hope of sympathy was lost on her.   
  
"All the worse for you!" she said slamming her files back down on top of the desk. She met his eyes straight on. "I was pretty sure that anyone would have common sense of being polite to their possible employees or at least to strangers, BMr. Chang/B.   
  
"You are a weak woman, why would I ever hire someone like you."   
  
"You don't know if I'm really weak. You wouldn't know unless you actually made the effort to look. You'll see how 'weak' I am." Another cynical glare was sent directly at Wufei. He glared back and suddenly Miss de Lowen was stalking out the door.   
  
Three days had passed by quickly. As it turned out, Dorothy and Quatre kept in touch, Wufei had ended up hiring Natria de Lowen, but found that he was constantly fighting with her, and Relena and Heero remained to lounge in their nights… and sometimes even days of love.   
  
Relena smiled as the sun streamed into the room, which she shared with Heero. She turned and found that he was not there. She sighed and traced her fingers over the pillow, indented by Heero's head and his sleepless night with her. Smiling at the wonderful night, she got up and threw on a huge t-shirt and made her way down the hall. As she went downstairs, she found that she smelled coffee, eggs, and bacon. Food! She was starving. As she walked into the kitchen she found Heero already sitting at the table, sipping at his coffee and once again working on his accounts. She walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee and then filled up a plate of the prepared food. When she sat down, she put her feet up on a nearby chair and sipped from the hot mug. Her eyes remained on Heero. He felt her eyes on him and looked up and glanced at her every once in a while. Finally, he put down the pen he was writing with and looked at her square in the face.   
  
"Yes?" he asked with his usual monotone voice, but he held a twinkle in his eyes. Relena grinned over her eggs, which she had not yet touched.   
  
"Nothing, I just like looking at you. Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are in the morning?" she asked casually. Heero's eyebrows went up.   
  
"No, I'm not told too often." Relena smiled.   
  
"You're handsome in the morning." Relena turned to her eggs and bacon, which seemed to become very interesting. She could feel Heero's eyes wandering over her features and she smiled a little. Then he was getting up and lifting her into his arms.   
  
"Am I really that handsome?" he asked with a smile. It took her breath away. She only nodded. Then suddenly, she sobered and she raised a hand to his cheek to caress it.   
  
"God, I'll miss you so much when I have to leave," she said sadly. Heero automatically tensed and his grip on her tightened possessively.   
  
"Then don't." Relena laughed cynically.   
  
"It's not that easy. I can't stay here."   
  
"Tell me why not? Give me one reason why you can't stay here." Relena felt panic well up in her. Oh god, she had done it. God no….   
  
"It would never work out, first of all. I live in the states and I can't quit my job like that."   
  
"You can transfer here." She was in love!   
  
"I can't do that! Besides… you're still technically with my cousin."   
  
"You think that after all this, I'm going to stay with her?"   
  
"I didn't think so, no, but… you're talking about actually having a breal/b relationship and… and…" Relena stared up into his big Prussian eyes and she nearly melted. She didn't want to leave him. It would be so easy to stay here and just get lost in life for the rest of her days. Stop it! Don't even start to think down that road. You have before and you decided, Relena.   
  
"And… there's just no way it would work." Heero was still holding her up and she was beginning to feel uncomfortable looking up at him from there, so she did the cowardly thing to do. She buried her face in his shoulder and refused to meet his eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry. I can't."   
  
"Is there anything I can do? I'll transfer to the states and…" Relena's eyes widened.   
  
"You would do that for me?"   
  
"Yes." No one seemed to show so much care for her in all her life and it pained her even more to have to tell him the hardest part.   
  
"No."   
  
"What?"   
  
"No, you can't transfer to the states. Your life is here as well as your job and mine is on another continent. Our lives are completely different from each others and eventually we'd grow to grudge one another. So, Heero, I think this will end if not now then by tomorrow when my cousin returns." It nearly broke her heart when Heero's eyes saddened, but she felt shattered when he set her down gently and turned to the door of the kitchen. He turned his head slightly to speak.   
  
"Then I guess this is the end of it." Relena stood silently, trying to will Heero back, but instead, she heard the car engine start and she was left alone in the house. Falling to her knees, she cried for the loss of her first and last love. 


	6. renaflow6

Chapter 6  
  
It took Duo two days before he decided to call Hilde and she reluctantly agreed to meet with him again. He was still furious with what Trowa had told him, but he needed to know it for himself. Duo decided they would meet at the same place as before.   
  
Hilde seemed to be running rather late and by that time, Duo ordered two beers. She was practically heaving for air by the time she arrived. He waved to her and she made her way over to the table. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a nice fitting T-shirt. Not prostitutional at all, thought Duo. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Duo asked Hilde to dance. Once again, Hilde was hesitant. As they reached the dance floor, Duo made his way to the center of the mass of people followed by Hilde. They could barely fit, but Duo didn't seem to mind. The beat of the song quickly consumed them as their hips ground. Hilde's arms were tightly around Duo's neck as he held onto her hips. As the song continued to get louder and faster Duo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, purposely pulling her harder onto his knee. Hilde gasped slightly and leaned her head on his shoulder as he dragged his fingers onto her sides. The bustle all around them and the dim lights made it difficult to see each other. When Hilde pulled her head away, she stared into dark violet eyes, filled with a dangerous intensity. She felt a shiver roll up her back. Duo leaned in and quickly seized her lips. Her world flipped upside down as she opened up to him. His arms unwound from her waist and he placed his hands on her hips, gripping tightly. Slowly, he rubbed his knee against her, Hilde's breath coming in short gasps now. She swayed her hips from side to side moving closer to him all the time. Her head was dizzy with the feelings she was receiving. She felt Duo's chest rising and falling quickly. His hands slid down her legs and did a hip move that caught Hilde completely off guard. He caught her cry just in time as he crushed her lips to his. Amidst this seductive storm no one seemed to notice.   
  
It took Duo and Hilde a few moments to realize that the song had changed. It too was fast. Duo pulled away to stare at Hilde and he found her eyes filled with passion. He leaned forward like a predator and placed his lips next to her ear.   
  
"Shall we continue this at your corner or here, Candy?" She froze not able to breath or speak. He knew! She tried to cover up her shock and lie her way out.   
  
"What are you talking about?" Duo once again ground against her and she nearly fell with the feelings but Duo caught her.   
  
"They do call you that right? Candy is the name the guys use?"   
  
"N… no…" Duo's hands moved low and Hilde's eyes slid shut.   
  
"Or do you only let a selected few call you by name?"   
  
"I… I…" His hands were not still at all, torturing her.   
  
"You're a prostitute, aren't you?" he growled angrily. This got Hilde's attention. Fury rose up in her. Her eyes seemed to be on fire. Her anger matched Duo's. So, this was all a game to him. He only was looking to seduce her? For once she thought she had met someone who saw her for who she was. She had only known him once and in that short amount of time she had made a terrible mistake. The anger and betrayal she felt did not compare to the pain. He would see what she could do and he would never see her again. She retaliated immediately. Her hand released Duo's neck and moved slowly down her side and then further in. She nearly laughed right out when Duo's eyes widened in shock.   
  
"Yes, Duo. I am a prostitute," she whispered into his ear seductively. She flexed her hand and his grip on her hips tightened noticeably. "And I can do things that could send you to heaven and back again." Another movement made by her caused Duo to drop his head like a rock onto her shoulder. She continued to speak quietly to him.   
  
"I can make you feel things you didn't know you could feel. But do you know what, Duo?" It took him a few moments to find his voice.   
  
"What?" he croaked hoarsely.   
  
"You're not going to get any of it." At that, she shoved herself away from him and disappeared quickly through the crowd. Duo tried to go after her when he recovered from the shock, but she was already to the door. She stopped and stared into his eyes and he could almost feel her sadness and betrayal. His heart felt like it was in a vice. Then she was gone. Duo stood staring for a few moments and felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. He slowly made his way to the table, hands in pockets when his eyes landed on a small bag. Her purse! He stared for a moment and realized he was going to be seeing her again after all.   
  
Quatre waited patiently outside the building, staring up at the window he knew Dorothy stayed. By now, most of the women living there had come to know him by name and almost considered him a pet. He was not to be touched, that was made quite clear by Dorothy. He returned several times, if only to talk with her about anything. Quatre found that she was fairly intelligent, as were many of the young women residing in the surrounding buildings and after she told her story of how she had dropped from college, he realized that some women didn't have a choice.   
  
He slowly approached the door and waved to one of the women standing there in the doorway. She smiled brightly at him as her amber eyes twinkled. She liked Quatre; it was like having a brother around now.   
  
"She's upstairs right now with someone. You might want to wait; I don't think you'll find it very pleasant up there at all." Quatre stiffened, despite the fact that he had visited more than a few times, he had never been around when someone was in 'visiting' Dorothy. He remembered back to their first small argument the day they had met.   
  
"It's only natural Quatre. People by nature are violent creatures and sometimes they simply have to get that aggression out. I'm the perfect outlet." Quatre had been stunned by the naivety of those words.   
  
"People have aggression, but it is not supposed to be taken out on loved ones or people they are being intimate with! It's not natural Dorothy." Dorothy had only shrugged, obviously used to such talk before.   
  
Quatre felt as if his blood was boiling by the time he had made it up to the flat where Dorothy was staying. He didn't even know he was intending on going there until he was opening the closed door. Inside he heard the sound of skin hitting bone. He cringed and felt his teeth gritting nastily. He stormed into the room where the couple was resting. The man on top of her was huge. His fists were meaty, that was quite obvious and Dorothy laid there as if nothing was abnormal, she wore a mask of pleasure, even though it was obvious to Quatre that she was in a lot of pain. There was an animal roar ringing throughout the room and no one seemed to know where it was coming from until after Quatre had grabbed the man and sent him flying across the room. Quatre was seeing red in all different shades. The man was stunned as he took half the blanket with him. Dorothy had no idea what was happening, but she was not so shocked as in to not get angry with Quatre. She ignored the fact that she was completely without clothing. She stood up and ran to her 'customer' and check to see if he was all right. Quatre was livid when he saw the fresh bruises forming on Dorothy's arms, neck, and face. No one would ever touch her of his in such a way, not if he could do something about it and that was exactly what he was planning on doing. He stalked closer to the man lying still stunned on the floor. Dorothy glared up at him. Quatre gently grabbed her wrists and set her aside as if she were a child. Reaching down, he grabbed the man and sent him sprawling once again towards the door. He quickly located the man's clothing and chucked them at him as well.   
  
"Get out," he said coldly. The man was clearly surprised by this. He had come here for only one thing and usually that was not a thing to be beaten for here. The man was big, but he was cowardly. He took one glance at Quatre and then at Dorothy before snatching up his clothes and bolting out the door, covering the important parts as he tried to dress himself as he ran down the hall.   
  
"What has gotten into you?" cried Dorothy. By now a crowd had gathered outside the door, as several young women peered in. Natria stood back contentedly, as the bustle started in. It was about time someone went in there and set Dorothy straight. Despite the fact that they had lost a good customer.   
  
"I've told you once and I'll tell you again Dorothy! It is not right!" Quatre looked around with frustration and saw the crowd that had gathered outside the room. He quickly took care of the intrusion by shutting the door. Though the couple was still inside and hidden from sight, everyone could hear clearly from the outside, though it was muffled.   
  
"It's my job Quatre! You can't stop me from doing my job! Even if it is wrong!" Quatre glared down at her. He stood almost a head taller than her. His little boy face was now gone and he was a man carved firmly in stone. Dorothy felt intimidated, yet she refused to show it.   
  
"I refuse to stand back and watch you being brutally beaten every time you need some money! If it means for me to pay for your room and board, I'll do it, but not at the expense of you being taken advantage of!"   
  
"Wake up, Quatre, and smell the stench. This is the way life is. And you know what? You are right, you're all right. I know that it is all wrong; I know that love is not shown by the fists or by the backside of a hand, but it's all I have right now. It's better feeling pain than nothing at all for the rest of my life."   
  
"Dorothy…" She stood tall, not even covering up. Quatre was mad, but he was still a man and what stood before him was a vision of perfection. He swallowed and blushed as he turned his gaze away, his small innocence coming back. His anger still boiled below. Dorothy looked at him with a small bit of concern and she turned to pick up the blanket, wrapping it around herself. "I don't want you to get hurt," he finally said, finding his voice in the back of his throat.   
  
"Quatre," she said softly. "No matter what you do, you can't stop me from getting hurt, whether it may be physical or not even real. But you've been a great friend to me over the last few days. I don't know how I can ever repay you for that, but this is what I am, and this is what I do. Can't you please accept me for that?" She felt as if she had won this battle and that he would finally come to the understanding that this is what she had to do. But then his eyes connected with hers.   
  
"Have you ever tasted what love should really be like?" he asked suddenly. Dorothy was about to answer, but he interrupted her. "Once you've tasted it, you can't ever allow yourself to have anything less, like you're doing." His voice was low, dangerous. It sent shivers up and down Dorothy's spine. The hint of innocence was completely washed away from his face. His body moved as if circling the prey. There was no malice, or any hint of violence, yet she still backed away, sensing something far more dangerous. He had suddenly backed her up against a wall, bringing his face perilously close to hers. She felt his eyes wandering over her face, as she tried to avoid the contact. She had a strange desire to throw herself at him and at the same time, run away as fast as she possibly could. He seemed to sense that so he played it safe by pinning her hands next to her sides as he gathered her into his arms.   
  
His blue eyes were intense with a fire that could never be quenched. When he saw her fear and hesitance, his eyes softened, yet the fire still was there, simmering below the surface. He backed away slowly, gently releasing her. She seemed to almost turn into a puddle. He stared at her relentlessly.   
  
"I will not do this unless you come to me. You need to know this on your own, but when you decide, I want you to learn it from me and no one else." Those words made her feel a fire building in her belly. "What you are doing now is not how anything should feel… ever. I will show that to you if or when you come to see that." With those last few words, he backed away fully and opened the door, ignoring the staring eyes as he made his way out of the building. After he left, the eyes turned to stare at Dorothy, who stood weakly staring at the empty doorway. Quickly, she shut the door and proceeded to slide to her knees, feeling as if all the bones had been taken out, leaving only jelly to stand on. 


	7. renaflow7

Chapter 7  
  
The man was absolutely infuriating. One moment he would ignore her for hours on end and suddenly, for no apparent reason, come down on her about every possible thing she could have done wrong. Over the last three days, Natria had been put through as many rigorous projects as all of the other employees, if not worse. She completed her assignments, made it to work on time, and even stayed late at night to finish whatever things needed to me done by the next day. Yet he still treated her like she was some inferior being who didn't know how to even squat in the bathroom. It was driving her mad, but Natria was not one to easily give in to intimidating and sexual discrimination. She was risking her place back in the slums, a very good guarantee for money, but Wufei didn't seem to care one bit. As far as he knew, she was a clerk in a downtown drugstore. He could have cared less.   
  
At that very moment, Natria was sitting at her desk in her cubicle, typing away on one of the accounts that had been 'hummed' and 'haahed' over for the last week. She was very close to unscrambling the financial problem when suddenly, an entire stack of files were dropped rather loudly onto the desk. She nearly jumped right out of her skin. She looked up to find two amused eyes staring at her. She felt the instinct to growl up at this arrogant face in front of her.   
  
"I've brought you some more files to sort through. I want them on my desk by tomorrow afternoon, three o'clock sharp." Wufei smiled at the displeasure he was causing her. He actually felt quite satisfied with this and turned, nearly on the verge of whistling. He had nearly made it to the door of the cubicle before Natria retaliated.   
  
"You insensitive asshole," she growled under her voice. Wufei stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder at her. His eyes were still slightly amused.   
  
"Do you have a problem, Miss De Lowen?" he asked innocently. Natria stood slowly, obviously trying to hold in her temper.   
  
"I have slaved over the last set of files that you told me to sort for the past three days and I finally finished the last piece of crap that you threw at me. You're trying to kill me!" she hissed. Wufei turned around, obviously not amused any longer.   
  
"If you can't handle the pressure this company puts on you, then why don't you resign?" Wufei felt his heart speed up.   
  
Natria's eyes narrowed considerably. "That's just what you would want, isn't it?" Wufei almost let out an audible sigh of relief. He quickly quenched that by glaring down at her.   
  
"Ever since the day I started working here you have tried every single thing possible to drive me out of my mind. So far, it's working!" By now several eyes were peaking out of their own cubicles to see who was causing the commotion. When they saw it was only Wufei and Natria, they only shrugged and returned back to work. They had always seemed to fight like an old couple. But it was known that Wufei was not interested in women, at least not after what happened to…   
  
"I have told you already, you are a weak woman and if you can't get the work done, don't come complaining to me about all of it."   
  
"I don't have to sit here and be discriminated against just because I was born with a pair of tits." That caught his attention. Natria had hit a cord. "What is it? These scare you," she said lowly, so hardly anyone could hear her. Was that sweat breaking out on his forehead? She had no pity for him. Natria immediately slipped into her street mode when a potential customer would stroll by. "Don't be afraid of something like these. They're harmless really, at least, these are, but the person who has them, you might want to watch out for her." Her voice had grown husky. She was enjoying the light blush that was now creeping up Wufei's neck. His jaw tightened as his eyes were trying desperately to stay above her neck.   
  
"You are a disgrace to this company," he growled. Natria reacted as if she had been slapped. Her eyes at first were hurt by what he said, but what had she expected? A quick tumble right there in the cubicle? Of course not. Her eyes looked worn down, not really expecting anything out of life anymore. Slowly, she raised her head and gave a small, humorless smile. Wufei stepped back, almost regretfully and immediately turned away to walk back to his office. Natria was left standing there, staring at where he had been. What on Earth was she thinking? She actually thought she could get a regular job and become apart of society again instead of living in isolation in the slums. How could she have been so stupid? Sighing, she turned and stared at the massive pile of files. She only had on thing left to do then.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wufei sat at his desk, his head leaning on his folded hands, his elbows supporting him as the lights were all being turned off around the outer offices. He continued to sit, contemplating what had happened with Natria. He had never felt such emotions until she came into the company. After his wife died, he had gone into a deep depression, feeling hardly any emotions and giving none as well. Something about Natria stirred something deep inside of him and it was disturbing. He was content where he was, living his life like the walking dead. The only thing he did feel strongly against was women. If his wife had been strong, she could have made it out of the hospital instead of lying there, wasting away before his eyes. She had left him alone and there was nothing he could do. Stupid women, you could never trust them with your heart. Suddenly, there was a small tap on the door. Wufei was rudely brought back to his surroundings. Hoarsely, he called for the person to enter as he pulled out a file, to make it look as if he had been doing some work.   
  
The door creaked open and Natria stepped inside. Wufei hesitated as he caught sight of her, but continued to pull the file out, pulling himself together for the façade he was to display for her.   
  
"What do you want?" he asked gruffly. Natria hardly even showed any emotion as she dropped the files on his desk. They were all completely organized and had been examined. Wufei stared at the pile for a long moment.   
  
"What's this?" he said, knowing full well, what was in front of him, he was more interested in why she had done it so quickly. Natria shrugged nonchalantly.   
  
"Those are the files you wanted."   
  
"Well, I can see that, why…"   
  
"Because I'm resigning. You asked me earlier today to resign, so here it is," she handed over a slip of paper. Wufei did not reach for it at first. He hardly even glanced at it as he set it on his desk.   
  
"You have a contract," he said quickly.   
  
"It can also be terminated if the head supervisor, that's you, approves the early resignation. All you have to do is sign this paper."   
  
Wufei once again didn't look at what she was pointing at. He found himself breaking out in a sweat. His teeth were gritting. She wasn't supposed to do this. She was too stubborn to give into his mockery of her.   
  
"I will not sign this," he said in a low voice. Natria's eyes widened in outrage.   
  
"What?" she cried. "You have to. You said yourself that you wanted me gone, more than once I might add." Wufei stood up and began collecting his papers and putting them in his briefcase.   
  
"You will fulfill this contract to its full term." Natria's fists were clenching as he turned to get his coat. He came out from behind his desk to only nod at her and make his way towards the door. Natria hadn't moved, her teeth grinding against one another.   
  
"You bastard," she said under her breath. He kept going. "I'm not, Meilan." He froze, not moving at all, not even breathing. She dared to bring his wife's name into this. She dared to even compare herself to his wife? He turned slowly, stiffly towards her.   
  
"Excuse me?" he said hardly able to speak.   
  
"You heard me," Natria turned around to face him, her face stoic. "I'm not Meilan, so stop acting as if I've wronged you. It's no secret why you don't like women." Wufei's coat and briefcase dropped with a thud as he turned and swung around, grabbing a hold of her arm in a painful vice.   
  
"Don't you ever presume that you are anything like my wife."   
  
"No, I'm not like your wife because she doesn't have to deal with such a selfish and sad little man. I don't presume to be like her, I envy her. While she is enjoying herself wherever she is, I have to sit and deal with you!" The last comment sent Wufei over the edge. He quickly shoved her back so she hit the table behind her, causing it to fall over, spilling everything. She landed hard on the ground. She looked up with determination.   
  
"You want to take something out on me? Go ahead, I'm right here," she growled, getting up into a fighting position. She silently thanked herself for wearing pants that day. Wufei's eyes narrowed as he shot forward, pushing her against the wall, she struggled violently to get loose, but he held her there firmly. Natria's eyes connected with Wufei's and for a brief moment, he hesitated. Suddenly, Natria came to the realization that in a very sick and twisted way, Wufei was lonely. Her eyes softened slightly. Wufei saw the sudden change and immediately let her go, backing away quickly. She had seen something in him that no one else had. He backed up a few more steps. Natria stood tall, staring at him in a saddened kind of way.   
  
"I don't need pity," he whispered as he turned away.   
  
"How long has it been since you've been with someone?" she asked quietly. Natria waited with her breath caught in her throat for his reply. He stopped.   
  
"My wife has been gone for over two years. I have not been with anyone since." It was strange, suddenly having a connection with someone again. Especially with Natria de Lowen, the representation of all he hated, yet missed with all his soul. Natria stepped forward purposefully and gazed into his eyes.   
  
"Don't live life alone," she said with as much meaning as possible. "Being dead while you are still alive is the worst way to bring yourself closer to hell. Being alive is only if you are with people who are alive." Natria looked down, breaking the eye contact, she had only noticed then how close she had come to Wufei. Only a few inches from each other. She made a move towards the door only to find that Wufei had swung her around to face him. His eyes were smoldering black coals. He was baring his teeth, not in anger, but in pain. Small glimmers of tears were forming on the edges of his eyes. As if it pained him even more, he lowered his head and took her lips fiercely, as if he wanted to suck every last bit of life out of her. Natria stood stiffly, not sure how to react. Wufei pulled away slowly, not looking at her, keeping his face close to hers. Natria felt as if a lifeline had just been snapped. Her only reaction was to grab for him again. Their lips met with a crash. It took Natria a moment to realize what was happening. Her eyes widened as she felt that her heart was going to pound its way out of her chest. She had never felt this before, such need to be with someone. With that sudden realization came fear. Without giving any warning, she pulled away. Wufei watched with watery eyes as she turned her back to him and made her way towards the door.   
  
"Don't…" She didn't turn, but she stopped just as she was reaching for the knob. Her eyes slowly looked over towards Wufei. They were filled with panic. "Don't leave me alone like this," he whispered. Natria's hand slowly lowered away from her exit, the only way of holding her feelings in tact.   
  
"You don't want to do this." She barely was able to get her words out before Wufei took only two strides to reach her. He stared down at her, yet her face refused to look up at him. Gently, he forced her chin up with his hand. Her eyes were sad, a sadness long forgotten.   
  
"Don't tell me what I want," he said barely audible as he lowered his head down to her lips. Natria almost sobbed right out. He would hate her in the end, just as he always had. It was only a matter of time though that she soon forgot why she was crying. 


	8. renaflow8

Chapter 8  
  
"Why am I always being dragged into your harebrained ideas?" growled Trowa as he stood with annoyance to the beginnings of the slums. Duo stood beside him, clutching the small purse in his hand. He had to see her again, but the only way he could do that is by using the excuse of bringing what she had forgotten the other night. He barely even registered what Trowa was saying.   
  
"You're helping me out, man. Besides, you already know the entire situation. You have a history with this whole thing." Duo didn't even look at his reluctant victim as he anxiously looked from one flat address to another. As they walked by, several women standing in the doorways smiled coyly at them, waiting to see if either one of them would take the bait.   
  
"If this is what you call history then I think you ought to go retake that course." Duo made a distasteful face. He was done with college and that was that. He didn't want anymore to do with studying as far as he was concerned. Being a mechanic at a local auto shop was just fine with him. Finally, he arrived in front of a flat that was indicated on Hilde's identification card. Duo stared at the building as if he was about to climb Mount Everest. He made an audible gulp. Trowa rolled his eyes and began to enter the building, grabbing Duo's sleeve.   
  
"I… I've changed my mind," Duo stated anxiously as he tried to make a mad dash for the street. Trowa yanked harder, nearly sending his friend on his back.   
  
"You dragged me all the way down here and you're going to finish what you started, now move your ass before I have to shove my foot up it. I can promise you that it won't be attractive at all," growled Trowa in annoyance. Duo heeded his friend's word as he finally pulled himself together. Taking a deep breath, he made an effort to walk purposefully towards the stairs. She was on the third floor, hopefully not doing any 'social services' at the moment. Duo would cross that bridge when it came. Trowa was walking behind him, making sure his friend would not make anymore mad dashes for the nearest exit. That is, until he saw her standing in one of the doorways next to the staircase. She didn't seem to recognize him at first. Unlike the other girls down on the stoops, she didn't look predatorial. She merely glanced at him, only to do a double take. She was obviously shocked to see him once again. Trowa didn't realize that he had stopped moving directly in front of her. Cathy looked at him from head to foot. She was obviously not displeased with what she found, except for the permanent glare that seemed to be always on Trowa's face.   
  
Trowa didn't know what was happening, all he knew was that he had suddenly lost complete track of his friend and he was standing in front of a very gorgeous woman. For only a brief moment, the briefest of brief moments, he allowed his mind to wander. It was her job right? Would she refuse a customer? Trowa immediately shook the thought from his head, knowing where that would lead him.   
  
"Can I help you?" she asked. It wasn't seductive; it sounded more like a receptionist asking for an appointment. Trowa didn't know what to do; he simply allowed his body to do what it wanted. Slowly, he took a step towards the door she stood next to. She looked surprised and almost hurt when she saw what he intended. Sighing, as if a child had just been asked to do a chore, she moved into her room, Trowa in tow. Trowa stopped to take in her room. It was clean and tidy, not like he had expected. From what he had seen in the past, places like this were shabby, but not here. This place was very different. The woman was different. In the middle of the room was a nice love couch facing a small fireplace. There were small cabinets in one area and a kitchen right in front of that. Hand-carved wooden dressers were against the walls. In a small part of the flat was the bedroom. It was an open doorway from the living area to the bed. He swallowed as he saw that Cathy had taken off her shirt revealing smooth creamy skin. Her shoulder was only a gentle curve, revealing a slim beautiful neck. She still wore her brassiere. It was red and satiny. Trowa cleared his throat and concentrated on looking elsewhere. What was he doing here? He almost never gave into such temptations, but damn it, she looked so good. Cathy was waiting almost expectantly for him to move towards the bedroom and she saw that he was hardly moving at all. She bent her hip and placed an annoyed hand there, giving him a slight glower.   
  
"What are you doing?" she said seductively, still trying to play the part of the loving bedmate. Her face said otherwise. Trowa was disgusted that she was even trying to make an effort to act as if she wanted him. Growling, he made a move towards the door. Her eyes widened.   
  
"No, come back," she said, her voice coming back to its original pitch. It was nice and throaty. Trowa liked it. "Did you come here for this?" she said indicating her body. "Or for something else?" Her eyes were confused. She had never had a client turn her down in such a way. It felt… good, strangely enough. Trowa turned and stared at her for a long moment.   
  
"Do you have any coffee?" Cathy seemed to grow even more confused. She nodded slowly and indicated for Trowa to take a seat at her table. She immediately went about pulling out the filter and coffee grounds. She glanced at Trowa every once in a while who was distractedly examining the flat.   
  
"This is a nice place," he commented absently. Cathy turned with a pleasant look on her face.   
  
"Really? I'm glad someone noticed. I try to keep this place clean, not for other people, mostly for myself." She set out two cups for herself and Trowa. She turned back towards the refrigerator and pulled out a plate of sliced banana bread.   
  
"I know it's not traditionally eaten in Japan, but a friend of mine showed me a recipe and I pretty much fell for it. Ever had some of this before?" she asked innocently. Trowa shook his head and reached over to take a slice, examining it at first and then finally taking a bite. He must have liked it; he ate at least four more pieces before setting aside the plate. By then the coffee was hot and ready to be served. When all the movement had stopped and they were left sipping their coffee, Cathy could not stand it any longer.   
  
"So why are you here?"   
  
"Hilde seemed to have forgotten something at the club the other night, Duo wanted to return it and dragged me along with him." The corner of Cathy's mouth went up a little in amusement.   
  
"It looks as if we're both on leashes by those two," she said dryly. Trowa smiled amusedly.   
  
"I let Duo believe it, but what he doesn't know is that I can yank on that leash anytime I want." Cathy let out a small laugh. Trowa found that it was rather pleasant. He liked her voice and her laugh, and the way she would gracefully serve bread and coffee to him. Small things were being imprinted into his mind the more he sat there. He noticed how clumsy she could be when holding something and walking, yet act as if it was normal. It was amusing.   
  
"What are you smiling about?" she asked suddenly. Trowa realized that as he was staring off into nowhere, thinking of these random pleasures, he had begun to smile rather goofily. He shook himself quickly out of his trance.   
  
"Nothing, just thinking of what happened to Duo."   
  
"Probably having a tumble with Candy," she said absently as she brought the cup to her mouth. Trowa raised an eyebrow at this.   
  
"You know, a relationship isn't all about sex." Cathy let out a laugh just as she finished sipping her cup. Trowa didn't like that laugh. It was cynical and filled with secret meaning.   
  
"You're telling me this? I of all people should know that better than anyone. It's the sex that changes people."   
  
"Care to enlighten me?"   
  
"Do you really want to know?" Trowa shrugged looking around.   
  
"I have nothing better to do, so shoot." Cathy leaned back and contemplated it for a long moment. Finally she spoke out.   
  
"Every girl has a sense of naivety. What they expect during their first time is a whole mixture of love, sensitivity, and trust. Everything for that one girl is already thought out in her mind. She knows most of the good feelings that she should have when it first happens. A girl will meet a nice gentleman and believe she's fallen for him. He's suave, courteous, handsome, and gentle, everything that a girl could want. He fawns over her, pets her, gives every single bit of attention to her, treating her like a beautiful princess made of glass." Cathy's eyes were glazed over slightly, as if going back into her memory. Suddenly, that glaze was gone, replaced with something much darker. "Then it happens. The man makes a move and the girl is so blinded by her love for this nice gentleman that she would do anything for him… anything. He takes her to bed and without any consideration, steals her naivety and replaces it with bitter remorse. There was no love, tenderness, or loving whispers in the night. In such a relationship, the man takes and takes, thinking that the girl is enjoying everything he is enjoying, blinded by his own needs and no one else's. The relationship changes. The nice gentleman changes. He's no longer a nice gentleman, but a man only playing with a toy he had found. He still gives her flowers and an occasional peck on the cheek like a pet, but only in the evenings to prove that girl's dreams wrong. Stealing every bit of love and joy from her. I know sex is not the only thing in a relationship, but one person in that relationship sure as hell thinks it is," she nearly hissed at the last. "Sex shouldn't be involved in any relationship. To have sex means to not have a relationship at all." Trowa's eyes were very serious.   
  
"So by doing this," he said, spreading his arms, indicating the entire slums surrounding him. "You're only proving that you have no relationship." Cathy looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes. Finally, she cleared her throat.   
  
"I suppose so. It's my independence from that kind of pain."   
  
"You do realize that I said that sex isn't the main part of the relationship. Even a man and wife have to have some kind of physical connection, but it's more than that, you do realize this right?" Cathy looked somewhat skeptical and Trowa felt a wave of shock roll over him.   
  
"You seriously think that sex is obsolete?" he asked slightly shocked.   
  
"I have yet to meet a man that has shown me otherwise. Every man is selfish when it comes down to sex. All for him and nothing for the 'thing' that lies beneath him," she said in disgust.   
  
Trowa had a strange smile on his face as he stood up. Cathy examined him as he stood before him, looking him up and down. She supposed that he was ready now, with all the talk of sex. Sighing, she stood up and turned towards the bedroom. Trowa reached out and spun her around to face him. His face was inches from hers. Slowly, he leaned forward. Cathy felt her heart racing at a deadly pace. She felt as if her insides had suddenly turned into a molten pit of lava. Almost expectantly, she felt her eyes slide half shut, waiting for his lips to connect with hers. Then… nothing. She opened her eyes with confusion. What was he doing? He was simply standing there, staring at her. She began to blush. Then he moved forward and pecked her lightly on the cheek. She had to blink several times to realize that he had already opened the door and was going to head down the hall. Running after him, she stopped in the door, staring after him.   
  
"What was that all about?" she called after him. He stopped and turned to her. Her breath caught in her throat.   
  
"You believe that a relationship is not a relationship unless there is no sex involved correct?" Cathy shifted uneasily and finally nodded. "Well, if I want that, I can't do anything with you, but I will prove your theory wrong, when the time is right." With that said, he turned and shoved his hands in his pockets and began to whistle a merry little tune as he slowly made his way down the hallway. Cathy could only stare with her jaw hanging open, a fish, out of water.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
So here he was, standing like an idiot in front of a door, holding a woman's purse. As far as he could tell, she was inside, but she was also alone. The endless possibilities were running through his mind. Of course, they were immediately dismissed. That's not what he came here for. What did he come here for? His friend had managed to somehow disappear, probably stumbling upon a very pretty woman and decided to stay for a chat. Duo's eyebrows knit together in annoyance. What kind of friend would ditch him like this in the slums?   
  
His thoughts were rudely interrupted when the door suddenly swung open. Hilde looked dressed to kill and she was so busy getting ready to lock the door as she was closing it that she ran straight into Duo. At first, she paid him no attention, but as soon as she realized that he wasn't moving, she let out an exasperated sigh, stopping her attempt in locking her door.   
  
"I wish you guys would find better times to come here for a roll in the hay," she mumbled as she turned to face him. She had started to reopen the door to allow her 'customer' into her flat. She stopped, frozen in complete shock.   
  
"You…" She couldn't seem to finish what she was saying. It was stuck somewhere deep in her throat. Duo smiled sheepishly, looking down at his feet, his hands behind his back. He truly looked like a teenage boy standing in front of a girl he had a crush on.   
  
"Yeah… Me…" Hilde didn't know what to do, but after she seemed to collect her mind from all over the place, she remembered their last meeting. Her face changed from one of shock to annoyance. She crossed her arms, leaning heavily on one hip.   
  
"What are you doing here?" she nearly spat at him. Duo brought his hands around and silently showed her purse. She immediately snatched it away. With nothing left to occupy his hands, Duo resorted to simply wringing his hands nearly raw. Hilde still stood watching him.   
  
"Is there anything else?" Duo stuttered for a moment, but finally gave up. Hilde saw that they were getting absolutely no where, so she returned to the chore of shutting and locking her door. Rolling her eyes, she made her way down the hall, trying very hard not to turn around and face him. Duo saw that he was losing his chance very quickly to talk to her.   
  
"I'm sorry!" He finally blurted out. Her feet seemed to stop of their own accord. Despite the fact that she was trying desperately not to turn around, she found herself doing exactly what she didn't want to do. Her face was skeptical.   
  
"What?" He shuffled his feet and looked away, stuffing his fidgety hands into his pockets.   
  
"I'm sorry… I had no right to treat you like I did the other night. I wanted to apologize." It looked like the words were being wrenched from him. 


End file.
